New natural turf field to be installed for the Rochester Red Wings 2020 season.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo was today joined by Rochester Red Wings President/CEO/COO Naomi Silver, members of the Monroe County Legislature, and special guests to break ground on a full-scale field replacement project at County-owned Frontier Field.
“Monroe County is proud to own and maintain the best ballpark in Upstate New York, and this project is at the very center of what keeps families coming back to Frontier Field year after year,” said Dinolfo. “This new, natural turf field will be fit for the pros, and ready to go for the 2020 season, as we continue to invest in the home of our hometown team, the Rochester Red Wings. I thank Naomi Silver and Rochester Community Baseball for their commitment to our community, and I can’t wait to watch our Wings win lots of games on this beautiful new field for years to come.”
Construction on the $2.2 million project will begin next week. Thereafter, the three layers of the field will be replaced over a twelve-week period, monitored over the winter months, and final maintenance will be completed by March of 2020, ahead of Red Wings Opening Day in April. Along with the natural sod, the “root zone” layer directly below the surface will be replaced, and the drainage and irrigation system underneath that will be repaired and replaced as well. Additionally, the project will include the installation of new railing padding adjacent to the field.
“There comes a point in the life of a natural grass field in which it must be replaced. The drainage beneath it begins to collapse, and the surface no longer drains properly, which can compromise the ability to get our games in when there has been inclement weather.” said Silver. “Today’s standards in professional baseball for our facilities are very high, with the safety of the players being of the utmost importance to us and to the Minnesota Twins. We are very grateful to Cheryl and Monroe County for making this field replacement a priority.”
Last year, Dinolfo and Silver signed a new long-term lease between Monroe County and Rochester Community Baseball, Inc. for the use of Frontier Field. The lease term is ten years, from 2018 to 2027, and includes a mutual option for another ten-year renewal thereafter. Under the terms of the agreement, Monroe County will continue to make capital improvements to Frontier Field in accordance with International League and Major League Baseball standards.
Last replaced in 2007, the new field will be designed to meet all quality and safety standards for professional baseball, and has an expected durable life of 10 to 12 years.